Meal Gatha

Meal Gatha

Gassho
ALL: Buddha was born at Kapilavastu
Enlightened at Magadah
Taught at Paranasi
Entered Nirvana at Kusinagara
Now I open Buddha Tathagatha’s eating bowls

May we be relieved from self-clinging
With all sentient beings.
INO: In the midst of the three treasures with all sentient beings, let us recite the names of Buddha:
ALL: Pure Dharmakaya Vairochana Buddha

Complete Sambhogakaya Vairochana Buddha
Numerous Nirmanakaya Shakyamuni Buddhas
Future Maitreya Buddha

All Buddhas throughout space and time

Mahayana Saddharma Pundarika Sutra

Great Manjusri Bodhisattva
Mahayana
Samantabhadra Bodhisattva
Great compassionate Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva
All Bodhisattva Mahasattvas
Maha Prajna Paramita
  Breakfast
INO: This food comes from the efforts of all sentient beings, past and present, and its ten advantages give us physical and spiritual well-being and promote pure practice.
  Lunch
INO: We offer this meal of three virtues and six tastes to the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, and to the life of the Dharma worlds.
Gassho  
ALL: First, seventy-two labors brought us this food.
Bow in shashu We should know how it comes to us
Zazen mudra Second, as we receive this offering, we should consider whether our virtue and practice deserve it.
Third, as we desire the natural order of mind, to be free from clinging, we must be free from greed.
Fourth, to support our life we take this food.
Fifth, to attain our Way we take this food.
  Lunch only:
Bow, make food offering All those of the spiritual worlds, now I give you this offering. This food will pervade everywhere.
Gassho First, this food is for the three treasures.
Bow, put spoon in 1st bowl, sticks on 2nd Second, it is for our teachers, parents, nation, and all sentient beings.
Third, it is for all beings in the six worlds.
Bow, hold Buddha Bowl above eye level Thus we eat this food with everyone.
We eat to stop all suffering, to practice good, to save all sentient beings, and to accomplish our Buddha Way.
(Begin eating.)
  (When leader finishes first bowl, offering and condiments are collected. When leader puts down spatula, water is served. When leader gasshos, water is collected. Ino starts:)
Gassho  
ALL: The water with which I wash these bowls tastes like ambrosia;
I offer it to the various spirits to satisfy them.
Om, Makurasai Svaha!
Gassho  
INO: May we exist in muddy water with purity like a lotus.
Thus we bow to Buddha.

 

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